Even though clear evidence shows that alcohol increases cancer risks, most people in the United States don’t know about this connection. New research from MD Anderson Cancer Center found that more than half of American adults (52.9%) did not know alcohol affects cancer risk.

What Did the Study Find?

The study, published in JAMA Oncology, found:

• 37.1% of U.S. adults do understand there is a connection between cancer risk and drinking

• 1% believed that drinking decreased cancer risk

• 9% of people didn’t know

People who had recently drunk alcohol, or who believed that cancer isn’t fatal or preventable, were more likely to think that drinking alcohol doesn’t affect cancer risk.

Why Does This Matter?

“It’s concerning that people who drink alcohol are the ones most likely to believe it has no effect on cancer risk,” said lead author Dr. Sanjay Shete. “Given people’s beliefs play a critical role in whether they choose healthier behaviors, we need to work on correcting these misperceptions. This could be essential to reducing the growing burden of alcohol-related cancers.”

Who Is Most Likely to Not Know About Alcohol and Cancer?

Researchers found certain groups were more likely not to know that alcohol influences cancer risk:

• Current cigarette smokers

• Black individuals

• Those with lower education levels (below college or high school)

• Those who don’t believe cancer is preventable

What Do We Actually Know About Alcohol and Cancer?

According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen. That’s the same category as tobacco, asbestos, and radiation.

Drinking alcohol has been linked to at least seven types of cancer. About 5.5% of all new cancer diagnoses and 5.8% of all deaths from cancer are because of drinking alcohol, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Understanding these facts could help people follow alcohol consumption guidelines, like those recently endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2025, and may help prevent cancer-related deaths.

How Was the Study Done?

Researchers looked at responses from almost 7,000 Americans over age 18 (average age 48). The group included:

• 48.4% female

• 60.7% white

• 17.5% Hispanic

• 11% Black

More than half had consumed alcohol in the last month. Nearly 10% had a personal history of cancer.

Participants were asked: “In your opinion, how does drinking alcohol affect the risk of getting cancer?” They could answer that alcohol decreases cancer risk, has no effect, increases risk, or that they don’t know.